I grill salmon on water soaked cedar shingles, which are pre-soaked about an hour.
The salmon is laid out skin side down, and the first step is to spread a ginger paste over the filet. Next, a butter spray (I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter) is layered on top. Then turbinado sugar is sprinkled over the butter spray. If you can afford it, sprinkle cracked peppercorns on top of the sugar sprinkle. I don’t use peppercorns.
Place the water soaked cedar planks on the grill and lay out the dressed salmon filet on top of the grill cedar altar. Keep your drool rag handy!
I use a gas grill and just fire it up when it is time to cook. And that is as soon as the prepped, salmon is laid out in the grill. Grill the salmon with the hood closed to help trap the smoke. During grilling the smoke from the smoldering cedar plank melts the turbinado sugar to seal the ginger into a colorful, mild cedar flavored glaze. You can see the smoke comming up and out of the back of the grill.
At close to $25 a pound for fresh Copper River salmon, you don’t want any flame in your grill to get away from you. You need to tend the grill with a handy water squirter to knock down the flames if the cedar catches fire. We want the cedar planks to smolder and smoke, but not catch fire (for too long).
It took about 20 minutes using medium heat to grill the salmon. I cook Copper Rivers like a good steak; rare in the middle, sushi like. The Copper Rivers are quality sushi grade salmon; an exquisite delight to a discerning palate.
